Meet Charlie.

I swear he called me to him. We typically visit Petsmart about once every two weeks as an “activity”– we watch the available cats for adoption, smile as the doggies get haircuts, giggle at the antics of the puppies in Doggy Daycare, and pick up a treat for a favorite dog of ours.

However, a few weeks ago I got that feeling. The feeling I had to visit Petsmart. That we needed to go by and visit the kitties. I even arranged for my husband to meet us for lunch next door… you know, just in case.

We almost never see volunteers in with the cats because we go at odd times. Of course, this time there was a volunteer inside cleaning the cages. She invited us inside. When she started talking about a beautiful adult black and white cat named Lunar, my ears perked up. He’s five years old. He’s lived in several homes in his young life, including a stint outdoors. She thought he was declawed because he NEVER showed his nails. He’s gentle. He loves kids and other cats.

He even curls his little toes, as if to say, ‘I won’t hurt you.’

It’s funny, because I always tuck in my toes too. Not because I’m trying to say I won’t harm you (which, hello, I wouldn’t) but because I’m either cold or having a nightmare about being lost in the open ocean and I’m afraid sharks are going to bite me. Do you have that nightmare too?

Forget I mentioned that.

Anyways.

Want to have your heart melt? When they first found him, he was taking care of a box full of kittens. The foster families thought he was their mom until a visit to the vet revealed he was a boy. When we saw him at Petsmart, he was trying to get into the cage with the other kittens to snuggle with them. He’s a Mr. Mom!

After lunch, we brought my husband over to meet him. He turned to me and said, “so, what are we going to name him?” I knew then he was ours.

Our application was approved that night. We braved a snowy Saturday the next day to bring him home. He’s so beautiful and sweet. He even matches our kitchen.

About 24 hours after we brought him home, my husband started sneezing something fierce and went through a box of tissues in just a few hours. Turns out he’s highly allergic to our new cat.

I’m going to miss him. My husband, I mean. The cat is staying. 😉

Lunar is his given name, but my kids have a hard time pronouncing ‘Ls’ so it comes out as “Woo-ner”. We decided he should have a new name to go with his new home. I really liked Charlie and started calling him that before we even brought him home. My husband has been trying to convince me to call him Hoagie, but once he started sneezing changed his tune and wants to call him Allergen. My daughter still likes ‘Wooner’. My son has started calling him Toby after his favorite train. Obviously our cat is going to have multiple personality disorder by the end of the week.

We’re really going to try to manage the allergy. I’m ordering a HEPA air filter. I’m going to brush the cat outside every few days. We’ve stocked up on Claritin and tissues. We’re closing off our bedroom so the cat doesn’t sleep on our bed. Which is where he slept most of the day. We’re not very good at this yet. But I do know this cat is now part of our family, we’re all so in love.

Just thought you’d like to meet the new addition. This is the first time I’ve ever owned a nice cat. I’m still stunned when he allows me to pick him up, when he snuggles on my shoulder, or gives me massages.

Truly, I think it’s not so much that we adopted him. I think he adopted us. And now I need some ideas on how we can beat this allergy thing. Because I just went downstairs to check on Charlie, and he’s snuggled up in my husband’s lap. Which says more about the character of both cat and husband than I can even put into words. 🙂

HELP. Any ideas on how to deal with a cat allergy?

Meet Carrie Higgins

Dreamer, thinker, + lemon squeezer; you'll usually find me clutching a mug of coffee, glue gun, fandeck of paint colors, and a child at any given time. This mom of two (and wife to one) loves to share freshly squeezed ideas for home and family. Join the adventure as we learn most lemons can indeed become lemonade-- with generous amounts of sweetness, perspective, and love.

Comments

This happened to us, too. I brought home a kitten (also black & white!) and my then boyfriend had serious allergies. We lived in an apt, so not a lot we could do for air filters and such. Ended up getting rx allergy meds and an inhaler (man, my guy is wonderful). The cool thing was that after a few months, he found he didn’t need the meds or inhaler anymore. Like he built an immunity? So maybe that will happen for your husband.

Carrie that is so sweet and wonderful. I can’t believe that nobody has wanted him before. He is so special.

I was wondering if you could share something like that on my “Living Pretty with Your Pets” series one day. I love reading the story how you adopted him.
I hope you guys can manage the allergies. My neighbors all have allergies to cats but they always do fine when they come to my house. So there is hope 😉

My stepmom is terribly allergic to cats, so when my dad (who – in his words – is so NOT a cat guy lol 😉 brought home a teeny tiny kitten & was obviously wrapped around it’s little paw, we all wondered how that was gonna go down.

Turns out, she hasn’t had any issues. They keep kitty inside, wipe him down with hypoallergenic wipes & she takes Claritin daily.

I also know it can just take time for your husband’s body to adjust. The 1st month I lived with cats I thought I was going to die lol. Then one day it was no biggie.

I wasn’t going to say it. But I was definitely thinking it! 😉 He is adorable and I can’t wait to meet him and snuggle him. I’m not sure I’ve ever snuggled a cat, either!

As for the allergies, my husband has been getting allergy shots for his seasonal allergies and they have made an incredible difference. They’re not cheap, so if you have a high deductible insurance you might have to budget for it. But they are worth every penny.

He is beautiful! I truly believe you were meant to be there that day for him! For the allergies, they say wiping the cat down daily with distilled water helps. I used this for our son-in-law who is allergic and now when he is here for a few days he normally has no problem. Your husband is great for going through this for something you and the kids love…ok, it sounds like he has been won over too!

awww, welcome to your new kitty! I always joke that I buy mine to match my décor, since both of my girls match a few rooms in my home. I hope he stays snuggly-the kitten we rescued started out that way, then wouldn’t sit with us, but now after a year she is jumping onto our laps and sleeping. hope it stays that way!

Awww, I needed a good story today. And now I’m almost weepy. Congratulations on your new friend, and thank you for giving him a good home. As for allergies – vacuum frequently (my Dyson even though expensive is a lifesaver), and wipes help too – they are available in pet stores and online.

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Hey there, welcome! I'm Carrie-- a dreamer, overthinker, + lemon squeezer, making it my mission to share fresh ideas for home and family. You'll usually find me clutching a mug of coffee, glue gun, fandeck of paint colors, and a child at any given time. Join the adventure as we learn most lemons can indeed become lemonade-- with generous amounts of sweetness, perspective, and love.